Tell us what you learned the hard way.
A talk, story, argument, field report, or question that changed how you see the work.
A note from Kris · Open call for 2026
We're looking for the thing you can't stop thinking about.
Talks. Demos. Performances. Experiments. Collaborations. Strange little formats that do not fit anywhere else and might be exactly what this moment needs.
Send us the first honest version. You do not need a polished abstract, a finished deck, or a famous name. Tell us what you want to try, why now, and what might happen in the room.
Kris Krüg here. I host the Vancouver AI Community, and we're building this program with the BC + AI crew. We want it to feel like our best community nights: curious people, sharp questions, something a little weird, and enough trust to try it live.
Open through August 15, 2026
What we're looking for
Bring us something alive.
Bring a live question, a point of view, and a reason to happen now. The answer can still be moving.
Show us the thing.
A demo, prototype, tool, artwork, system, beautiful failure, or build that teaches by being there.
Make the room part of it.
A workshop, performance, experiment, game, conversation, or collaboration people can enter together.
Bring the one with no box.
The strange little format you cannot place anywhere else. If it needs a new name, give it one.
If it does not fit anywhere else, that might be the point.
Send the spark
Five minutes is enough.
Give us the idea, why it matters, and the shape it wants to take. Weird and specific beats polished and vague every time.
Send the spark
A few sentences is plenty. This is the beginning of a conversation, not a grant application.
We read everything
We read every submission with the program crew. Reading is already underway, and every pitch gets an answer by the end of August.
We find the right shape
If there is a fit, we will talk about format, timing, tech, and what would make the idea land in the room.
We're already sending replies. First-time speakers are welcome. Rough first drafts are welcome too.
Where this comes to life
Three days in Vancouver. A room built for trying things.
Futureproof Festival is an international AI culture and ideas festival for people who are curious about what AI is making possible and clear-eyed about what it is changing. Vancouver hosts the room. The conversation crosses borders.
- When
- October 28 to 30, 2026
- Where
- Vancouver, BC
- Built with
- BC + AI
- Pitches close
- August 15, 2026
Venue partner
Hosted at H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, home to the Vancouver AI Community nights that helped make this festival possible.
